


Heir

by sandersonsister



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Video Game World, Eventual Romance, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-29
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-01-26 10:30:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12555456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sandersonsister/pseuds/sandersonsister
Summary: All Kenma wanted to do was try the new virtual reality arcade. He wasn't expecting to get stuck in said game and to be told the only way for him to get out was to beat the game. He also didn't expect to fall in love with one of the characters. Let's not even go into how complicated THAT was.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all, this is a story with the Haikyuu characters but it is based on the book Heir Apparent by Vivian Van Velde. I loved that book when I was young and, after re-reading it recently, I could just picture something like this happening to Kenma. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

Kenma wasn’t surprised when he got the gift certificate for his birthday. How could he have been when his father’s secretary called him the day before and asked him where he wanted a certificate from? But he was excited about it, none-the-less. With his mother away on business, again, and his father almost completely out of his life, it was the one bright spot in his usual birthday emptiness.

The gift certificate was sitting on the table in his apartment when he got home from class. Kenma briefly wondered if his father had actually stopped by or if he had just handed over the key to one of his underlings and had them bring it. He studied the certificate, feeling a smile pull at his lips when he saw that it was good for thirty minutes of free play at the new virtual reality arcade. The new system was reported to be amazing – you could actually disengage yourself from the everyday world and be immersed in these new fantasy systems.

With a glance at the clock, Kenma decided that this was the best way he could possibly spend his birthday. The arcade had opened almost two weeks ago and was instantly met with resistance. There were many people that believed such systems should have never been invented. That they were poisoning the mind of children and leading to higher crime rates. There had been protests going on from the moment the doors had opened, but Kenma thought that he could finally manage to get through the groups and get inside.

He noticed the crowds the instant he turned onto the street. Just as he had seen on the news, the building was surrounded by protesters. Kenma moved around slowly and carefully, not looking up. He hoped they would think he was just passing by until it was too late.

It seemed to work for the most part but one guy seemed to understand what Kenma was doing. Kenma froze as a pair of shoes moved into his path and he moved his eyes up slowly. A man was standing in front of him, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes narrowed. The man began to quote statistics (biased statistics) at Kenma, saying how the virtual reality games were a menace to society and…

Well, Kenma didn’t hear the rest. He moved to the side of the man and began to jog toward the doors, slowly picking up speed when he saw more of the protestors attempting to move in and stop him. The door of the arcade was flung open when he got close and he ran on through, letting the employee slam the doors close behind him.

Kenma felt himself start to pant as he came to a stop. He wasn’t the most athletic of people and he couldn’t remember the last time he had tried to run. “Afternoon!” A peppy voice cut in to his thoughts. Kenma turned to see a young woman sitting at a counter, a bright smile plastered across her face. “Is this your first time here?”

Kenma nodded and slowly made his way toward her. Besides himself and the woman, there were a few employees walking around, most of them looking bored, and only two other customers. Two boys a little younger than himself were sitting in chairs beside two machines. “I have this,” Kenma muttered, showing the woman the certificate.

She beamed, “Oh, great! This certificate allows you a thirty minute complete immersion game time! The computer stimulates your brain so you feel like you’re actually experiencing the adventure! You’ll smell, taste, and feel everything! It really is amazing! Thirty minutes is about three days in the game world. Just a quick warning – if your character feels pain, so will you. If they are hungry, you will be as well. Same with cold, heat, or anything else. If you die in the game and still have time left, you will automatically restart. You can watch promo’s over there! Once you decided which you want to play, come see me again and I’ll get you started!”

Kenma bowed his head lightly and turned to follow the direction the woman had indicated. There was a large screen there with a multitude of buttons under it. Looking more closely, Kenma saw that each button activated a promo for a specific game. They were separated into genre’s and he skipped over the horror section. He briefly watched the various promo’s for the adventure games and then moved onto fantasy. One in particular caught his eye. Heir Apparent.

“The King is dead. Are you the next in line? Who can you trust?” Various images flickered across the screen as the voice spoke. There were brief shots of different characters, of magic, of a dragon. “Wrong choice!” A high pitched voice cackled as the screen went black.

Kenma made his way back toward the woman, “Heir Apparent good for thirty minutes?”

She laughed lightly, “Oh, I haven’t played that one yet, but it’s the owners’ favorite! They got the idea for all of this in college and spent all their time making these games once they figured out how to do it. Heir Apparent was their first game! Sorry, to answer your question, you should be able to get in some great playing on that one in thirty minutes!”

Kenma nodded his head and indicated that was what he wanted. She flashed that bright smile once again and typed something on her computer. Only a few seconds later, one of the employees came up to him and took him to a station and helped him get situated. “Ready to go?” the employee asked, just as brightly as the other girl.

“Yeah,” Kenma muttered.

There wasn’t a response but Kenma didn’t notice. He didn’t notice because he was suddenly somewhere else. Somewhere that smelled absolutely horrible. He was on the ground, leaning back against something not quite soft. Opening his eyes, Kenma glanced around to see he was lying in some sort of…barn. A barn? The not quite soft thing was hay.

Oh, it smelled terrible.

Kenma made to stand but quickly fell back to the ground as his mind began to fill with information. Everything he knew about his life seemed to be pressed to the back of his mind and the space was filled with new memories and knowledge. Kozume Kenma was now Kenma St. Jehan, a sheepherder. Memories of being raised in the village assaulted Kenma and he felt his stomach lurch when he realized the game had picked up the images of his parents and used them to fit this scenario. In the game, his parents were happily in love and they loved Kenma unconditionally.

Unlike his own family who hadn’t all been in the same place in over ten years.

“Kenma! Come to the house!”

Yeah, that was definitely his mother’s voice.

Kenma moved slowly. He hadn’t seen his mother in almost two years, not since he had moved out of the house and into his apartment when he began to attend University. His mother had instantly packed up her own things and shipped them off, Kenma had no idea where, and then had begun to travel for her job. She had stopped traveling, mostly, after she and Kenma’s father had gotten divorced, but now that she no longer had to take care of Kenma, she had picked up her old position.

Not that she had actually taken care of Kenma anyway. Mostly, she hadn’t wanted others to judge her if she had constantly left her teenage son alone.

But that woman was completely different than the woman standing inside the house. His mother had always had the perfect hair, the best outfits, and had never allowed herself to be seen without her make-up. This woman didn’t even appear to know what make-up was. Her hair was braided down her back messily and her clothes, like Kenma’s, were threadbare and coarse.

There was a man standing beside her, a man that certainly wasn’t from Kenma’s memories – the real or fake ones.

“Yes?” Kenma asked as he walked up to them, his brow furrowed as he looked toward the man.

Said man didn’t appear to be that much older than him. He was extremely tall and slim with blonde hair that was cut close to his head. His golden eyes stared at Kenma with scorn and his lip twisted. “Is this him?” the man demanded, his nose wrinkling in distaste. Kenma wondered if it was because of his appearance or the stench that wafted off of him.

“This is Kenma,” his mother said lovingly and Kenma blinked. He had never heard that tone from his mother. Ever. “Kenma there is something I probably should have told you. Oh, I wish we could wait until your father was home-“

“Get on with it,” the man demanded.

“That’s my mother, there’s no reason to be rude,” Kenma muttered at the man, annoyed at his tone.

The man just smirked, “Wrong. That’s the entire reason I’m here.”

“What are you talking about?” Kenma asked, frowning as he went through those memories once more. No, these were definitely his parents.

The man sighed in irritation, “That woman isn’t your mother. And that man you call your father is also not related to you.”

Kenma blinked. Wait…so that was how this was going to go? He knew, obviously, that he was supposed to somehow be in line for the throne, but he hadn’t thought it would…

“Tsukishima-san, you said I could tell him-“

“You took too long,” This man, Tsukishima, sighed. He turned his head, fixing those eyes on Kenma once more, “These people are your foster parents. You were brought here for safekeeping. Your true parents are – your mother was a servant,” the blond rolled his eyes.

Ah, so that meant… “And my father?” Kenma asked, already knowing the answer.

“Was King Nekomata, God rest his soul.”

Kenma’s mother gasped and her hand flew up to cover her mouth, “The King is dead?”

“He always did have bad timing,” Tsukishima muttered and Kenma had to stare at the man for his gall. How had this person survived until now? From what Kenma had in his head, this country didn’t take things like that well.

“I have brothers?” Kenma asked, his mind finally putting all the pieces into place. His mind was telling him that he had heard whispers of the prince’s throughout the village but no names were ever spoken.

“You do,” Tsukishima said shortly, that scowl still plastered on his face.

Well, this was getting him nowhere.

“What are their names? What are they like?”

The scowl grew, “Tooru is the first born,” Tsukishima informed him, his voice now growing monotone. “He was raised away from court and has certain…wild ideas.”

Wild ideas? What on earth could that mean? Before Kenma could asked, Tsukishima continued, “Koutarou is the second son and is a man of incredible physical prowess. In the classical sense, anyway.”

“Classical-“

“And the third born is Tetsurou. As far as I’m concerned, he shows far too much interest in the magical arts.” Tsukishima finished. His eyes flickered to Kenma’s once more and he smirked, “But perhaps it would be better for you to form your own opinions instead of relying on mine.”

Kenma felt his own eyes narrow in response but his mother quickly stepped in, “Wait, does that mean you’re taking Kenma to court?” Tsukishima nodded. “But I thought he was in danger there?”

“The King commanded it,” came the response.

“I thought the King-“

Tsukishima sighed, “It was his deathbed wish that Kenma be brought to court,” he said, obviously wanting to get it over with so they would stop asking questions. “But, he was feverish then. It might have been a mistake,” well, Kenma was certain that Tsukishima thought it was. “You were an embarrassment when you were born. Your servant mother died during the birth and some of the King’s advisors, my father included, pointed out that it wasn’t uncommon for mother and child to both die during labor. But the king was a kindhearted man,” Tsukishima said with a twist to his lips.

So Tsukishima’s father was one of the advisors? Interesting.

“So he decided to send for me once he knew he was dying?” Kenma responded, “Was he aware I was alive all this time?”

“He knew,” Tsukishima snorted. “He sent for you because he named you his heir.”

Kenma froze and he heard his mother gasp. He was named the heir? From what he saw on the promo, he had assumed he would have to fight for his place on the throne against the three brothers. Why would the king name him? Didn’t the other three have a closer claim? And their mother was the Queen. Why would he name the son of a servant? “Why?” Kenma finally asked out, his mind not able to put the pieces in place.

“No idea,” Tsukishima answered promptly. “Now let’s be off. It is a long ride to the castle.”

Kenma moved toward the horse that was obviously waiting for him but his mother grabbed onto his arm. “Oh, can’t you wait? I sent word to your father. He should be back here soon!”

He had already been thrown at seeing his mother, making his father a part of it was pushing it. “I’ll send for you once everything is settled,” Kenma responded, squeezing her hand gently before climbing up on the horse.

He didn’t look back as he followed Tsukishima away from the village.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be updating this randomly as I work on my other stories. Hope everyone enjoys!

When they arrived at the castle, Kenma cringed when he was greeted with fanfare. Guards bowed and called him ‘highness’, squares ran to help Kenma down from the horse. Kenma actually thought the two boys were going to come to blows over which got to help him. He finally directed the taller of the two to help him down and the other to take the horse.

 

Tsukishima didn’t even bother to speak to Kenma before hurrying away through the crowds. He was probably going to take a bath. He had been complaining about it the entire ride.

 

A man was waiting for him by the entrance. “Welcome, Prince Kenma,” he said, bowing at the waist. “I am Counselor Sakusa, advisor to King Nekomata. I will escort you to the Great Hall to meet the royal family.”

 

The man looked sincere and kind but Kenma didn’t like him. Maybe it was just something about him in general or maybe it was because he remembered what Tsukishima had said about the advisors suggestions at his birth. It might not be his actual reality but it felt like it was.

 

Kenma was led down a long hall and he couldn’t help but look around in awe. He had half expected the castle to be run down and rat infested but it looked just like the magnificent castle he had seen in the promo. It really was worth playing this game to just look around the castle. Kenma blinked in surprise Sakusa stopped moving. He came to a stop as well and looked at the massive, carved doors in front of them. Two guards pushed the door open while another stepped forward and announced him to the room. “His Royal Highness, Prince Kenma.”

 

Kenma stepped forward and at first he thought he had just been announced to an empty room. However, the further his eyes travelled, he realized that there were people crowded at the far end of the hall, by the two thrones. Kenma took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself, and then took a step forward. “Good luck,” Sakusa muttered. Kenma turned his head to the side sharply just in time to see the man abandon him. Great.

 

Kenma slowly turned his head forward again. There were three men and a woman standing there, watching him. Kenma felt his mouth grow dry. He was never good in social situations. The three men had to be his half brothers. But the woman? Tsukishima hadn’t mentioned that any of them were married. Or was it his father’s wife? The Queen? He hadn’t thought to ask if she was still alive and his implanted memories didn’t seem to be helping him any.

 

Well, he wasn’t going to find out standing by the doors. Kenma took a deep breath once more and began to walk down the long room toward the people that were still staring at him. His footsteps echoed around the room. Should he have waited until they acknowledged him? No. He was a Prince, right? He had every right to approach his half-brothers.

 

As Kenma got closer, he was assured that the woman was the queen. The two biggest indications were the fact that she was sitting on one of the thrones and wearing a crown. The other was that she was around fifty years old, a bit too old to be one of his half-brothers wives. The three princes seemed to not be that far apart – and they really didn’t seem that much older than Kenma. He wasn’t even able to tell who was who based on how they looked.

 

“Hello,” Kenma greeted, keeping his back straight as he stood in front of them. He really should attempt to make a good impression. Should he bow? “It is a great honor to meet-“

 

The queen turned her head dismissively and focused on one of the princes beside her. He was big, extremely big, and could probably break Kenma’s arm with one finger. His shoulders were broad, his arms muscled. His hair seemed to be an odd color of gray despite his young age and his eyes were a brilliant gold. Kenma thought back to what Tsukishima said about the princes. Hadn’t he said that the second prince was strong in the classical sense? This had to be Koutarou.

 

“This _boy_ ,” the queen spat, “smells like goat.”

 

The prince wrinkled his nose. “Yeah, he does,” he said in a voice that sounded as if he wasn’t trying to inhale. Kenma wanted to be offended but he couldn’t really blame him.

 

“It’s a sheep, actually,” Kenma muttered. The queen turned to scowl at him and Kenma shrugged his shoulders. Who cares if it wasn’t refined? “I’ve been working tending sheep.” _Not that she cares. Why am I explaining myself?_

One of the other princes scoffed. Kenma turned his head slightly to look at him. The man was incredibly attractive with light brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. He was probably the tallest of the three and he had very pale skin. At the moment, he had his arms crossed over his chest and he was staring at Kenma with undisguised contempt.

 

The third prince lifted a hand and covered a chuckle. He was sitting on the arm of the empty throne, which Kenma thought was a way for the creators to let him know that this one was trying to assert himself as the next king. His hair was messy enough that Kenma wondered if the boy had ever seen a comb and mischievous eyes. When he saw Kenma looking at him, the prince flashed a smile openly. Kenma wondered if that was meant to show that Kenma could trust him or if he was being mocked.

 

“I think,” the queen said, making Kenma turn his attention back toward her. “We should just kill him now and be done with it.”

 

“Alright,” the one Kenma thought was Koutarou answered. He didn’t even blink as he reached behind his back and drew a sword that was almost as long as Kenma was tall. Kenma hadn’t even paid attention to the long strap that crossed the taller boys chest but now he figured it must have been some sort of harness. Good to know.

 

“Wait a minute,” Kenma panicked, taking a quick step back with his bare, dirty feet. A grinning Koutarou followed him. “Wait!”

 

“Just don’t move,” Koutarou said knowingly with that smile still plastered on his face. “It’ll be faster if you don’t. And you won’t bleed as much.”

 

Wait…was he worried about Kenma feeling pain? Or that his blood would mess up the clean floor?

 

“Back down, Kou,” the prince still sitting on the arm of the throne pointed out in a tired voice. “He’s already been by too many people. If you wanted to kill him, you should have done it earlier.”

 

_I have no idea if that was supposed to help me or not…_

Koutarou paused and glanced back at his mother. She looked disappointed. “I suppose.”

 

Koutarou lowered the sword and Kenma let out a soft sigh, still making sure to keep his distance.

 

The other prince, the one that he hadn’t heard speak yet, moved a step forward. “How about we all start over?” He smiled but it certainly wasn’t a very nice smile. Kenma felt a shiver run up his spine. “You came in, you were introduced, we discern exactly what it is you smelled of. Let’s start from there.”

 

Kenma felt irritation rise throughout his body. “No,” he snapped, eyes narrowing. “How about we go back to the introduction phase and you all introduce yourselves to me? From what I’ve been told, I was named the next king, after all.”

 

That smile froze for a moment. “Certainly. I am Prince Tooru, the first born. By common tradition, the heir apparent. This bulking mass of humanity is Koutarou, the second born. And that is Tetsurou, the youngest,” he waved airily at the boy sitting on the arm of the throne. Kenma tilted his head and Tooru’s smile grew sharper. “Well, the youngest excluding yourself, of course.” He then motioned to the woman on the throne that seemed to be seething that she was being introduced last. “Our mother. That is, the mother of the Kings legitimate children. Queen Andreanna.”

 

The queen sat forward. “Now, Kenma,” her tone betrayed just what she thought of his name. He wondered if any name would have triggered that reaction.

 

Before I could hear what she was going to say, the room went pitch black as if someone had turned off the lights. Of course, medieval castles don’t have light switches. And even though they were in a room with multiple windows, which had plenty of light streaming through only moments before, none was to be seen now.

 

“What-“ Kenma started but he was cut off by the loud bang of thunder that seemed to go off right by his ear. He yelled out and covered his ears instantly, eyes widening when he saw lightning streaking behind the people in front of him. He turned his head as the thunder continued to roll and the lightning struck all around him. What was happening?!

 

“Prince Kenma!” The queen said loudly and impatiently. Kenma wondered just how many times she had said his name.

 

“Sorry!” Kenma said, raising his voice slightly to be heard over the thunder. “I couldn’t hear you!”  


Through the flickering light, Kenma saw her turn toward her sons. All three were watching Kenma warily. The queen turned toward him once more and said something else that Kenma wasn’t able to hear.

 

“I can’t hear you over the thunder,” Kenma hated raising his voice but he did so yet again. What an odd thing to put in a game.

 

They exchanged a glance yet again. Tooru took a step back and scowled. Tetsurou’s foot stopped swinging. Koutarou raised his sword. Kenma knew those looks. Those were the looks kids in high school had given him. The what is wrong with this person? looks. And then lightning struck right in front of the queen.

 

And not one of them flinched.

 

Kenma took a step back. No. Something was wrong. They didn’t even seem to notice the storm. Didn’t notice that the lightning was just inches away from hitting the queen. Didn’t this game have magic? Maybe something as affecting them and they didn’t notice it? Or maybe…

 

No. It had to be the magic.

 

“You should move,” Kenma said as he continued to walk backwards. “You don’t want the lightning to hit you.”

 

Tooru looked at his brothers and tapped his head while widening his eyes. The queen rested her face in her hands and seemed to be shaking. Koutarou was looking at everyone as if he wasn’t sure what he should be doing. Tetsurou climbed to his feet and took a hesitant step forward, his eyes focused intently on Kenma.

 

And then it stopped. The lights turned back on. “Oh,” Kenma uttered, pulling his hands away from his ears and looking around the room. He didn’t see any scorch marks. “I – there was a storm. But it’s gone now.”

 

Tetsurou looked furious as he moved back to his previous position and Tooru giggled behind his hand. “I never knew you were so gullible, Testurou. I should remember that.”

 

Tetsurou turned furious eyes onto his brother but he couldn’t say anything before the queen raised her hand in a gesture to stop him. “Enough of this nonsense. Kenma, I am not sure what you think you are doing but stop before I change my mind about having you killed. In the derangement of his dying, my husband named you his successor. We shall see how long you can keep the position. And your head,” she smiled at him wickedly and Kenma clenched his jaw. “Koutarou, follow me,” she stood and swept out of the room, Kenma’s second brother following her. As he walked past, Koutarou stared at Kenma’s neck. Kenma moved his hand self-consciously and rubbed at it. He hoped something was on it and the boy hadn’t been trying to judge how much strength he needed to use with that sword of his.

 

Tooru and Tetsurou followed shortly thereafter. Tetsurou gave Kenma a glare that made the younger boy take a large step back. Tooru smiled yet again but Kenma couldn’t help but think that smile looked more dangerous than Tetsurou’s glare.

 

Kenma swallowed hard. He was sure that at this point he was supposed to make a decision about who he spoke to and who he could trust. He honestly didn’t think any of them were a good idea. But… when he had given the warning about the storm, Tetsurou was the only one that had even attempted to listen to him.

 

Besides, Tooru and Koutarou scared him.

 

With those thoughts in mind, Kenma moved out of the room and looked down the hallway. “Tetsurou!” he called, just loud enough so the group could hear him. The boy paused and turned toward Kenma, his eyes hard, as the rest of the group moved on without him. Kenma hurried toward him, despite the look of loathing the boy was giving him, and asked, “Are there wizards that live nearby?”

 

Tetsurou’s eyebrows rose. “Akaashi and Yaku,” he spoke as if it was something everyone knew. And maybe they did. But Kenma didn’t.

 

“Do you think one of them could create the storm? A storm only I could see?”

 

“Why would they do that?”

 

“I don’t know,” Kenma muttered with a scowl. This game was annoying him. He didn’t like it when games annoyed him. “Maybe to make me look insane.”

 

“Well, they succeeded,” Tetsurou responded but he seemed to be more amused than angry now, which Kenma took as a win.

 

Before Kenma could question him any further, a loud commotion drew his attention to the courtyard. Two guards were dragging a boy that looked to be about eight or nine. The boy was crying and seemed to be trying to get away but the guards were not being gentle. “Prince Tetsurou! And Prince…”

 

“Kenma.”

 

The man nodded as if he had known that all along. He looked at Tetsurou like he was the important one. “We caught this boy poaching. He killed a deer. Should he receive the usual punishment?”

 

Tetsurou opened his mouth to answer but he paused and turned toward Kenma. “I’m not sure. Why don’t we ask Kenma. What do you think? The usual?” His voice dripped with innocence. Kenma gritted his teeth. This was a test. And Tetsurou was letting him know this was a test.

 

“What is the usual?” Kenma questioned, though the programming seemed to know the answer. He ignored it.

 

Tetsurou shrugged. “First time offenses for small game result in a branding or losing a hand,” his eyes hardened, “for deer, the punishment is death.”

 

“No!” The boy whimpered. “I didn’t do anything! He was already dead! I was just dressing him so the meat wouldn’t go to waste. I didn’t kill him!”  


Kenma could feel Tetsurou’s eyes watching him. “He says he didn’t do it.”

 

“Of course he does.”

 

Kenma turned his attention to the guards. “Did you actually see him kill the deer?”

 

“We didn’t,” the guard admitted with a frown. “But look at his hands!” Kenma did. They were bloody to the elbows.

 

“He already admitted to dressing down the carcass. Did you actually see him kill the deer?” The guards scowled and shook their heads. “Then let him go.”

 

The guards looked at Testurou, clearly wanting him to intervene, but the boy just stared at them. They scowled once more and let the boy go and saluted in annoyance. Kenma wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say now. None of the group seemed inclined to start a conversation or moved to do any sort of actions. Tetsurou turned and walked away. Kenma was probably supposed to say something to make him stay. He didn’t know what that something was. Kenma sighed and looked at the boy. “Are you alright?”

 

The boy just kicked him, hard, and ran away.

 

“Nice,” Kenma hissed, leaning down to rub his leg. That’s what he got for helping that brat.

 

He turned to find someone to take him to his rooms when a loud blaring started. He looked up as a bright beam of light blinded him. A figure clad in all white was descending. He couldn’t see the face of the person, they had a hood covering them, but they seemed to be glowing.

 

“Kozume Kenma,” the figure started and Kenma jerked in surprise. He was pretty sure this person wouldn’t have said his true name if he was part of the game. A sinking feeling over took him. He had hoped…

 

“Kozume, please don’t panic,” the man said in a clear voice. “My name is Kuroo. I am one of the founders of Ace Games. There has been a slight emergency. Nothing to worry about.” Kenma doubted that. He didn’t think one of the founders would be speaking to him in a game if there wasn’t anything to worry about. He felt the panic rise. “People that have been protesting outside of the building… what?” he turned his attention away from Kenma and looked to the side. He must have been talking to someone wherever he was. He waved the person away.

 

“When you say emergency-“ Kenma started.

 

“The protestors have broken into the building and damaged the equipment. Don’t worry. There is no physical danger. The intruders have been removed by the police.”

 

Well that was... “Wait, when you say no _physical_ damage-“

 

But the man kept talking. He couldn’t hear Kenma. He probably couldn’t even see him. Perfect. “We are working to regain control. There are fail-safe measures to keep things from affecting your mental state. But while the safeguards are in effect you will not be able to exit the Heir Apparent program.”

 

…what did he just say?

 

“Well, you can exit the game. You have to successfully complete the game. If you fail, you will just loop back to the beginning.” Kenma let out a sigh. Fine. He was good at games. He could do this. Everything would be fine. “Unfortunately, this is the last time we will be able to speak with you. And I can’t tell you the solution because there is no single right path in this game. Depending on the characters you take into your confidence and how you react to problems, the solutions are infinite. All you have to do is play the game well and as quickly as you can.”

 

Kenma bit his lip as his mind began to work frantically. Play well and quickly. Usually that wouldn’t be a problem but he wasn’t just a character on a screen. He was actually speaking to these people. Trying to be friends with them. He had failed so many times in reality, why would he be able to succeed here?

 

“Wait!” Kuroo yelled. Kenma looked at him in confusion but the man seemed to be floating up. “No! This is stupid! He should know!” he let out a deep sigh and started to speak frantically, practically yelling as he floated further and further away. “What I said before isn’t entirely true! You really should be fine but there isn’t any time to waste! The stimulation to your brain really is dangerous! The longest game we have is supposed to be over in an hour. Our equipment was severely damaged by those…people. We don’t know how long you have but the longer you take, the more of a risk for a fatal overload.”

 

_A fatal overload._

“Advice!” He was yelling now. “Tetsurou and Daishou don’t work well together!” _Who is Daishou?_ “And next time don’t forget the ring!” _Next time? Ring?_ “And whatever you do, don’t-“

 

But whatever Kenma was never supposed to do was lost as Kuroo finally disappeared.


	3. Chapter 3

Kenma was having trouble breathing. The protestors had just walked in from the street and damaged the equipment? There had been protestors for weeks. Why hadn’t they had security? Was he the only one in this predicament? Were there other people trapped inside other games? What was he supposed to do? What had that Kuroo person been trying to say to him?

 

What was he never supposed to do?

 

And what about the protestors themselves? Hadn’t they been out there to protest people using the technology because it was dangerous? So now they had moved to hurting people that were using it?

 

Kenma forced air into his lungs. Right. They had said he needed to get through this quickly. He wasn’t going to be able to do that by panicking in the middle of the courtyard.

 

He took a deep breath and began to walk back into the castle. Okay. So Tetsurou and Daishou, who he still didn’t know, wouldn’t work well together. So, if he was going to trust Tetsurou, Daishou was out. Not a big loss at the moment since Kenma had no idea who he was but he might regret the decision later.

 

Then there was the comment about the ring.

 

And the founder had definitely said the words “next time”.

 

So, he obviously wasn’t expected to succeed this round.

 

He had missed something.

 

But Kuroo had said there were multiple ways of winning the game. Maybe he still had a chance. He was good at games, after all. But…was this ring important enough that he couldn’t win without it? Sometimes there were games like that. Games were there were many different ways of winning but if you didn’t have one crucial item, you would never succeed.

 

Was the ring that item?

 

What else had the founder said? Something about an overload. If he played too long, it could lead to a system overload. Kenma knew what that meant. He was a graphic design major, after all. He didn’t want to think of the implications of what would happen if he was still immersed in the game when the system overloaded.

 

He needed to focus now. Focus on the game. A game that really was no longer a game. He had to treat it as a reality, a reality in which he was struggling to survive. He needed to survive and sit on the throne as king so it would all be over.

 

He needed to win.

 

Just as the thought crossed his mind, hands grabbed him from behind. Kenma cried out in surprise as he was pulled into a castle corridor. The hands around him were hard and would have definitely left bruises. Kenma tried to yell yet again but the man had a calloused hand pressed against his mouth. Kenma felt bile rise in his throat at the thought of some strange man touching him. He shook his head and tried to pull away yet again. When that didn’t work, he forced his full weight back against the person. When the man stumbled, Kenma threw his leg back and connected with the man’s knee. He let out a loud groan and instantly dropped Kenma.

 

Kenma hit the ground and tried to scramble away but someone else grabbed him. He was spun around and Kenma’s eyes widened when he saw a group of about twenty castle guards standing there. The man that Kenma had apparently kicked, as he was bending over rubbing at his shin with a scowl, hissed to the others, “He’s too weak to be our king.”

 

It was then that Kenma recognized him. It was the guard from earlier, the one that he had ordered to let the boy go.

 

Was that what this was about?

 

Because Kenma had ordered for the boy to not be killed?

 

“He’ll be the death of us all,” the man snarled, standing up straight and striding forward with a mad glint in his eye. Firm hands held Kenma in place as the guard pulled out a knife and slid it straight into Kenma’s stomach.

 

Kenma gasped at the blinding pain and then it was gone. He could see the blood pouring from the wound, could see the guards watching as he slowly died. But he no longer felt it. His vision began to go fuzzy. The hands that were holding him up let go and Kenma fell to the ground and his eyes closed.

 

They opened a short minute later when a foul stench assaulted him. He was in a barn. “Kenma! Come to the house!”

Well, apparently there would be a next time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! If anyone is enjoying this story, please let me know!

_Well crap,_ Kenma thought as he struggled to his feet. He was back in the barn, back at the start of the game. The guards had killed him.

 

How nice.

 

Well, he had some more information now. A ring. He needed to get the ring. Wherever that was. Considering he was supposed to have it by the time he met the boy that the guards brought in, it had to be somewhere nearby. Maybe one of his brothers had it. Or the Queen.

 

Then there was Daishou. He needed to figure out who that person was and see if he was more trustworthy than Tetsurou. If he was, well, Kenma knew which he was going to choose to side with.

 

Even if Testurou was extremely attractive.

 

Taking a deep breath, Kenma shuffled out of the barn and hurried up the hill. Well, hurried for him. He probably should be running or something but even here in this world, Kenma couldn’t make himself do it. It wasn’t worth the effort.

 

“Hello, mother,” Kenma said as he finally walked up to the woman and Tsukishima, who was standing in the exact same spot he had been in the last time Kenma played this game. Kenma quickly glanced down at his mother’s hands. Bare. As expected. She was a peasant woman, after all. It would be odd for her to have a ring.

 

“Is this him?” Tsukishima asked, just as rude as ever. He waved his hand toward Kenma and the boy immediately noticed the ring that graced his finger. Ah. Was that the ring the founder had been referring to?

 

“That’s a nice ring,” Kenma said softly, thinking that maybe the interaction would being a segment regarding the item.

 

Instead, Tsukishima’s eyes narrowed and his arms crossed over his chest, hiding the ring from sight.

 

Maybe it was too soon.

 

Or maybe it wasn’t the right ring.

 

Kenma listened as he was told, once again, about his true parentage and that he would be accompanying the bond to the castle. Once again, Kenma’s mother cried when Kenma was leaving, saying that she wished his father had been home. But the thought of an overload cut off any guilt that Kenma would have felt. He didn’t have time to waste for another goodbye.

 

As before, Kenma questioned Tsukishima about his half-brothers, hoping for some sort of new information. He didn’t receive any. Finally, Kenma asked a different question. “Who is Daishou?”

 

Tsukishima turned to look at him sharply. “Someone that knows better than to interfere. Has he been in contact with your family?”

 

Kenma bit his lip. Well, apparently that wasn’t the right line of questioning either. “No.”

 

“Then where did you hear that name?”

 

Kenma ducked his head. “I don’t remember,” he muttered, earning a snort from Tsukishima.

 

The two rode in silence the rest of the way to the castle. Right before Tsukishima slipped away, he decided to try and ask about the ring once more. “That is an interesting design on your ring.”  


Tsukishima’s eyes narrowed. “Yes. Very interesting. It’s called the letter T.”

 

Ah. T for Tsukishima. It was the wrong ring after all.

 

Tsukishima disappeared into the crowd that moment and Sakusa took his place. They went through the same introductions and then Kenma once again found himself in front of the royal family. They were in the exact same positions they had been in the last time he met them and Kenma didn’t waste any time in making his way down the Hall toward them. “Hello,” Kenma said as he came into hearing distance. “I offer my condolences-“

 

“This boy,” the queen sneered, cutting Kenma off and looking at Koutarou. “Smells like goat.”

 

 _It isn’t goat,_ Kenma thought but this time he didn’t bother contradicting her. It didn’t seem to do any good, anyway.

 

Kenma took a deep breath. Maybe being more assertive would work? He had been killed the last time because they thought he was weak. So…maybe doing the opposite? “Excuse me,” he said in the strongest tone he could come up with. He was trying to mimic some of those guys that would make fun of him in high school. It seemed to always work for them. “I believe the King made me his heir. I understand that you are currently grieving but I ask in the future you remember to show me respect.”

 

“ _Respect_?!” The queen spat and Kenma instantly knew that he had made a mistake. “Koutarou, give him the respect he asks for.”

 

Kenma instantly took a step back in horror. However, Koutarou didn’t seem to understand the sarcasm and began to bow his way. “Kill him!” The queen snapped.

 

Kenma’s mind was whirling frantically and he quickly grasped onto the point that Tetsurou had brought up during the last meeting. “Too many people have seen me come in here.” Koutarou had already unsheathed his sword and was stepping toward Kenma. Kenma ducked behind a pillar. “Everyone will know who killed me,” Kenma called to the queen. There was no point in saying any of this to the maniac waving a sword at him. Unless the queen told him to stop he wasn’t going to listen to anything Kenma had to say. “You’ll be in trouble for killing the appointed heir!”

 

Kenma dodged once again but he was slower than the lumbering man in front of him.

 

“He’s probably right,” Tooru drawled.

  
“Probably,” the queen agreed.

 

That was the last thing Kenma heard as the sword waved toward his head.


End file.
